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General
Biggleswade is a thriving market town close to the River Ivel. The name comes from Biceil, an Anglo Saxon personal name and waed, which is Saxon for ford. Palaeolithic remains indicate that the area has been occupied for over 10,000 years. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the name appears as Bichelesuuade.
One of Biggleswade’s most famous residents was Dan Albone, a racing cyclist and pioneer who established the Ivel Cycle Works where he invented the tandem and the ladies bicycle. Albone was also responsible for the development of the Ivel Agricultural Tractor, the precursor of all modern tractors.
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The Golden Pheasant
The local newspaper, ‘The Comet’, carried a report about a haunting in the Golden Pheasant. The landlords had said that they had been hearing footsteps coming from upstairs when there was no one up there. They even reported that the ghost, who the locals had nicknamed Maurice, had been caught on film. There may even be two ghosts as singing had been heard in the bar but there was no obvious source. This second ghost reputedly had a woman’s voice.
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High Street
The premises of Poundstretcher, in the High Street, is said to be haunted by a ghost called Aggie. No one knows who first gave the ghost the nickname but now everyone calls it Aggie. The building itself is said to be one of the oldest in the town and was previously occupied by Cavendish Furniture. The cellars of number 115 have two bricked up tunnels one of which led to the church whilst the other went to what is now the bus station.
Everyone who works in the building finds the cellar to be a creepy place. Above the shop there are offices where the ghost is reported to have closed the sash windows after staff had opened them, she also shuts the doors when there is no one about. The ghost’s other talent is for turning on the lights in the gents toilet, it had to be the ghost as there were no male employees in the building at the time.
Noises are heard to come from the attic as if there was someone moving around up there but when the room is checked it is found to be empty. Footsteps are also heard on the stairs when everyone is working downstairs. One younger member of staff said that they had heard a story of the ghost of a child that is alleged to haunt the premises. Once, when working on the till, the same young staff member felt someone go by but there was no one there. The ghost also has the habit of scattering stock all over the floor during the night. One member of staff, Sue, has had things fall on her head despite the fact that they were securely stored; this has also been witnessed by other people.
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The Old Limes
The Old Limes once stood at 142 London Road. In its history it had been a workhouse, then later an extension to Biggleswade Hospital treating geriatric patients. In the early 1960s the original building was demolished and a new one took its place becoming the offices of the Department of Social Services.
When the Old Limes was taking in patients a nurse, Brenda Gillard, worked there and was aware of the tales of a female ghost that walked the hallways. Brenda heard the opening and closing of doors followed by footsteps numerous times when she worked the nightshift. Not only was there no one there but the doors were locked. Many people began to think of the ghost as the Grim Reaper as it would always be heard just after a patient had died.
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Potton Road
According to some of the older residents a bridge on the Potton Road is haunted. The tale tells of a nurse who was murdered, a number of years ago, and the murderer dumped her body underneath the bridge. The bridge, which crosses a small brook, is now known locally as the Murder Bridge.
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Rose Lane
Fifty to sixty years ago children who attended Rose Lane School refused to go there at night for fear of meeting a headless ghost that was said to lie in wait by the bridge. People were so scared that they would avoid crossing the bridge after dark. The exact location of the bridge is not known so the map link below points to Rose Lane school.
To view a map of the area click on the button below
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